ATLANTA…The Carter Center announced the recipients of the 2012-2013 Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism today. Selected from a highly competitive pool of applicants, the 16th annual class of fellows includes six from the United States and two from Romania. (See below for a full list of fellows and their project topics.)

"At The Carter Center, we have been working for more than a decade to develop a cadre of journalists who can have a significant impact on the public's understanding of mental illnesses," said former First Lady and Carter Center Co-Founder Rosalynn Carter. "These journalists are making important contributions to lifting some of the stigma associated with mental health issues."

Mental illnesses are among the most common health conditions in the world, yet sensationalized news coverage or underreporting of these issues can perpetuate public misunderstanding and prevent people from seeking effective treatment.

Carter Center fellows receive intensive training from leading mental health and journalism experts and a USD 10,000 stipend (or a comparable amount for international fellows) to report on a mental health topic of their choice.

Previous fellows have produced more than 1300 mental health-related stories, documentaries, books, and other works during and after their fellowship year. Their projects have garnered an Emmy award, nominations for the Pulitzer Prize, an Edward R. Murrow award, and awards from Mental Health America, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the American Psychological Association, American Psychoanalytic Association, Amnesty International, and the Association of Health Care Journalists.

The fellowship program is part of the Carter Center's Mental Health Program, which works around the world to reduce stigma and discrimination against people with mental illnesses and to decrease incorrect and stereotypical information. The program also seeks to increase access to mental health services and inform mental health public policy.

Martin KuzStaff Writer, Stars and Stripes
California (currently in Afghanistan)Topic: Document the efforts of combat stress teams to aid U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan struggling with the mental rigors of war or "present-traumatic stress disorder."

"Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope."
A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, The Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in more than 70 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; improving mental health care; and teaching farmers in developing nations to increase crop production. The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide.